The White House will hold indoor Christmas parties this year despite the advice of health experts to limit such gatherings due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
First Lady Melania Trump‘s Communications Director Stephanie Grisham said that numerous precautions will be taken at the celebrations.
She added, “Attending the parties will be a very personal choice. It is a longstanding tradition for people to visit and enjoy the cheer and iconic decor of the annual White House Christmas celebrations.”
But health officials, including the Surgeon General Jerome Adams have warned against indoor parties.
Adams, who is also also a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said in an interview in November, “We want everyone to understand that these holiday celebrations can be super-spreader events.”
“So we want them to be smart and we want them to be as small as possible,” he added.
He said that tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “apply to the White House, they apply to the American people. They apply to everyone. We want you to stay safe so we can get to a vaccine.”
First Lady Melania Trump unveiled the Christmas theme for the White House this week in videos of her decorating trees. She said that the “America the Beautiful” theme is meant to pay “tribute to the majesty of our great nation.”
The nation is currently in the midst of a coronavirus spike. On Monday, the country added 167,759 new cases.